Zookeepers at the Copenhagen Zoo killed a “surplus” giraffe named Marius this weekend. And while…
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Jyllands Park zoo, in western Denmark,
currently has two male giraffes, but has been approved to participate
in the European breeding programme. If zookeepers manage to acquire a
female giraffe, seven-year-old Marius will have to make way.

Like
his namesake in Copenhagen, the giraffe is considered unsuitable for
breeding, and the zoo said there was a high risk that Marius would have
to be put down as it would be difficult to find him a new home.

Janni
Løjtved Poulsen, zookeeper at Jyllands Park, said it was not clear when
the park would acquire a female giraffe and that the decision on
Marius's future would be taken by the breeding programme co-ordinator.

"If we are told we have to euthanise [Marius] we would of course do that," said Poulsen.

Time reports the controversy will not stop zookeepers from moving forward with their decision:

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After that young giraffe was euthanized at Copenhagen Zoo to
avoid inbreeding, staff at the zoo received death threats and Danish
embassies around the world received angry messages.

"It doesn't affect us in any way. We are completely behind Copenhagen
and would have done the same," Poulsen says, stressing that it would be
difficult for the zoo to find a new home for Marius 2. His fate now
lies in the hands of the coordinator of the European breeding program.

As for the sad, eerie coincidence in names, Poulsen said their Marius was named after a vet at the zoo: "We thought it was amusing that there was another Marius among the
giraffes when there aren't that many giraffes in Denmark overall."